Road sign



Feb. 13, 1951 o. E. BUGH 2,541,460

ROAD SIGN Filed Jan. 15, 1948 f/a. .5 M

02 VA E. 506/1.

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to improvements in road signs, and relates particularly to signs used to identify roads, streets and locations or points of interest.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple, inexpensive, sturdy and readily legible sign of this character.

A further object is to provide a sign built up from a plurality of standard sections or blocks each bearing indicia, such as a letter of the alphabet or a numeral, whereby any given name, word or number can be completed for display in the post by arrangement of the blocks bearing the required indicia in proper relation to one another.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is built up from a plurality of blocks, each constructed to interfit with adjacent blocks to provide a strong, sturdy unit which can be assembled easily and quickly and in which the blocks are restrained against relative rotation.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the road sign.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the blocks used in the sign viewed from one angle; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of said block viewed from a different angle.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the base portion.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the cap.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral i0 designates a base portion or standard of rigid construction and substantially of rectangular cross-section, which is adapted to be mounted in the ground in an upright position with its upper portion terminating slightly above ground level. A plurality of blocks I2 are mounted upon the standard ID in stacked or superimposed position, and upon the top of the assembled unit is positioned a cap M. A retainer, such as an elongated rigid bar or rod I6, serves to hold the various parts together in operative relation.

The blocks i2 are of the construction best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Each thereof comprises a pair of face portions I8 and an integral reduced web 2!! therebetween. Each of the face portions has an outer face or surface 22 which defines an outer face of the composite sign when all assembled; that is, it extends for the full width of one side of the sign and is preferably of a vertical dimension sufficient to permit a letter or numeral, such as the numeral 24 in Fig. 5, to be disposed thereon. This numeral may be applied to the face 22 by painting or stenciling or may be formed integrally therewith in relief as shown in Fig. 5. The vertical edges 26 of each block portion converge rearwardly inwardly preferably at an angle of 45. degrees to the surfaces 22, and the web 20 is of a width equal to the spacing of the inner portions of the vertical faces 26. If desired, the corners 28 between the surfaces 22 and It may be disposed in planes approximately 45 degrees to the face l8 to avoid the occurrence of sharp corners on the sign. The vertical dimension of each of the face portions l8 of each block is preferably twice the vertical dimension of the web 20, and the latter is preferably positioned at mid-height relative to the face portions, as best shown in Fig. 4. The blocks, the standard and the cap may be formed of any suitable material but I prefer to use cement. It will be understood, however, that these parts may be formed of metal, wood, plastic, glass or any other material found suitable.

The upper end of the standard is configured similarly to the contour of the upper portion of one of the blocks l2, with a transverse reduced web portion 36 and a pair of upwardly projecting face portions 3'! defined by angular end walls 21, and the bottom portion of the cap I4 is configured similarly to the bottom portion of one of the blocks 52 with a transverse reduced web portion 45 and a pair of downwardly projecting face portions 4'! defined by angular end walls 48.

The standard iii has a central elongated retaining socket formed therein which may be screw-threaded, as illustrated in Fig. 2 to receive the lower end of the elongated rigid bar I6 which passes through registering openings 30 formed in the blocks l2 and a similar opening in the cap l4.

' titious material (not shown) which upon setting 3 which will serve to protect the metal retainer against rust.

Each of the blocks I2 bears a numeral or other indicia 24 at each of its outer faces 22. When the blocks are selected to bear the required letters or indicia to make up the sign desired to be exposed at its different faces, as illustrated in Fig. 1, these blocks are assembled in proper relation to spell or make up the sign or identification desired to be carried by the sign. It will be observed that the block bearing directly upon the top of the standard, such as the block 34, will face in a direction dependent upon the position in which the standard I is placed in the ground and will fit snugly thereon with its web 20 extending perpendicular to the portion 38 at the top of the standard comparable with the web portion 20 of one of the blocks, and its face portions 18 perpendicular to the surfaces 8'! of the standard at its upper end comparable to the face portions I'8-of the blocks. The next block 38 will be positioned upon the block 84 in perpendicular relation' thereto with its web 20 resting upon the web 20 of the lower block, the surfaces at the bottom of its face portions I8 bearing upon the top edge of the portions 36 of the standard, and its faces 28 at its lower portion bearing against the faces 28 of the next lower block. The blocks are superimposed, on'e upon another, in this relation facing alternately in opposite directions, until the sign is completed.

It will be observed in this connection that all of the'blocks facing in one given direction will engage adjacent blocks facing in the same direction at the upper and lower surfaces of the face portions 18 thereof and will engage the adjacent blocks facing in the other direction at the web portions 20 thereof. Thus each surface of the post exposes only the joint lines between the face portions [8 of the blocks bearing the indicia 2 2- visible at that surface and a neat appearance is achieved. It will be observed further that the interengagement of the faces 26 of adjacent blocks provides positive abutments to assure that the blocks may not rotate, one relative to the other, or be disaligned. Inasmuch as the configuration of the top of the standard 50 and the bottom of the cap I4 is similar to the configuration of the bottom and top, respectively, of a block, the blocks are similarly held against rotation on the standard and the cap is similarly held against rotation on the blocks.

In the preferred form, the upper and lower surfaces of the face portions l8 of the block incline downwardly and outwardly at 40, as best seen in Fig. 2, and are parallel. This serves to provide additional rotation restraining means and also provides a joint between the constituent parts of the sign from which moisture may drain from between the constituent parts if it has been driven into said joints in rainy or snowy weather.

While the construction herein described and illustrated is preferred, it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A road sign comprising an elongated rigid base adapted to be mounted in the ground in upright position, a plurality of superimposed rigid blocks interfitting with each other, the lowermost block interfitting with and superimposed on the top of said base, a cap member bearing on and interfitting with the uppermost block, and

means for anchoring said cap and blocks to said base, each of said blocks bearing an indicium on at least one vertical outer face thereof, the indicium bearing faces of alternate blocks facing different directions, each of said blocks constituting a pair of opposed face portions having inwardly converging end edges and a reduced integral web portion connecting said face portions and of a depth equal to one-half of the depth of said face portions said face portions defining continuous surfaces of a sign unit of vertically uniform cross-sectional dimensions.

2. A road sign comprising an elongated rigid standard adapted to be mounted in the ground in upright position, a plurality of superimposed rigid blocks interfitting with each other, the lowermost block interfitting with the top of said standard, a cap member bearing on and interfitting with and superimposed on the uppermost block, and means for anchoring said cap and blocks to said standard, each of said blocks bearing an indicium on at least one vertical outer face thereof, the indicium bearing faces of alternate blocks facing different directions, each of said blocks constituting a pair of opposed face portions having inwardly converging end edges and a reduced integral web portion connecting said face portions and of a depth equal to onehalf of the depth of said face portions, the upper end of said standard and the lower portion of said cap being recessed at opposite sides thereof to receive the vertical projections of the face portions of the respective blocks bearing thereagainst the outer surfaces of said blocks and cap forming continuations of the vertical surfaces of said standard.

3. A road sign comprising an upright standard, a plurality of blocks mounted on said standard in superimposed relation, and a retainer for looking said blocks to said-standard in operative position, said blocks each comprising a pair of spaced opposed face portions having inwardly tapering sides and joined by a reduced integral web of a height one-half the height of said face portions,

alternate blocks being disposed at right angles to each other, the web of each block engaging the webs of adjacent angularly disposed blocks and the face portions of each block engaging the face portions of adjacent similarly facing blocks at their horizontal edges and engaging adjacent angularly disposed blocks at said tapered sides.

ORVA E. BUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 19, 1929 

